2nd sinkhole in three months opens up on Rockland road

ROCKLAND, Maine — Another sinkhole opened up in Rockland after drainage pipes shifted, closing an oceanside road Tuesday and Wednesday. The sinkhole, which opened up around 5 p.m. Tuesday, measured about 3 feet by 3 feet, according to city employees at the scene.

Rockland officials on Wednesday morning tore open the Tillson Avenue area about 12 feet down and 7 feet across to mend pipes and fill the hole.

According to foreman Jeff Benner, the pipes somehow shifted underground and left a gap that allowed sand to fall through.

“That’s what causes a sinkhole: a loss of material,” said Greg Blackwell, director of Public Works in Rockland.

City workers completed repairs of the hole and pipes and Tillson Avenue was reopened Wednesday afternoon.

“This is nothing compared to that,” Benner said, referring to the 50-foot-deep sinkhole that opened in February on Old County Road in Rockland near an old quarry site.

Tillson Avenue is the city’s responsibility. Blackwell was unsure how much the work would cost.